XN000022-1989-09-19 — Page 17

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TAKE

WE HAVE DIFFICULT

MR MAUDE : WELL. WHAT I WILL SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE'LL DECISIONS AS THEY COME THAT IS WHAT WE'VE DONE THROUGHOUT. AT NO

DECISIONS IF STAGE FLINCHED FROM TAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS HAVE TO BE TAKEN. I HOPE WE ALWAYS TAKE THOSE DECISIONS THE RESPONSIBLE AND INFORMED WAY AND ONE OF THE WAYS IN DECISIONS CAN BE WELL INFORMED IS BY MY BEING HERE AND SORT OF QUESTION.

IN

WHICH THOSE ASKING THAT

YOJANA SHARMA DAILY TELEGRAPH): YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PRESENT HONG KONG'S INTERESTS TO THE CHINESE IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. HOWEVER, CHINA HAS ALREADY SAID THAT TO STATION PLA TROOPS IN HONG KONG IS THEIR SOVEREIGN RIGHT. IT HAS ALSO SAID THAT BASIC LAW IS A MATTER FOR CHINA AND HONG KONG ALONE. SO, ON WHAT BASIS ARE YOU GOING TO ACTUALLY BROACH THIS SUBJECT?

MR MAUDE: WELL. I'VE ACCEPTED IT THAT STATIONING THE PLA HERR IS A MATTER OF CHINA'S SOVEREIGN RIGHT, BUT WHAT WE HAVE ALSO SAID IS THAT IT IS A MATTER WHICH IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE HERE AND THAT AGAIN IS A SIMPLE STATEMENT OF FACT. 30 FAR AS THE BASIC LAW IS CONCERNED, IT IS CLEARLY A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE WITH HONG KONG TO DRAFT THE BASIC LAW, BUT IT IS EQUALLY CLEARLY LEGITIMATE AND PROPER FOR US TO EXPRESS VIEWS ABOUT THE CONTENT AND THE FORMAT OF THE BASIC LAW. THAT WE HAVE DONE. MANY OF THE THINGS WE HAVE SUGGESTED ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AND HAVE IMPROVED THE BASIC LAW, IN THE PAST, AND THERE IS NOTHING, I THINK, PARTICULARLY EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT US SEEKING TO EXPRESS VIEWS ABOUT IT. IT IS PERFECTLY PROPER.

SIMON MACKLIN (SCMP): MR MAUDE, YOU SAID YOU ARE QUITE CONVINCED THAT THE BURDEN OF THE BOAT PEOPLE IS BECOMING INTOLERABLE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WHAT IS BRITAIN ABOUT TO DO ΤΟ HELP SHARE THAT BURDEN?

INDEED THAT TO

MR MAUDE: WELL. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO FIND, WELL. I MEAN TO FIND. A LASTING SOLUTION TO IT. SOLUTION CAN ONLY INVOLVE THOSE WHO ARE FOUND AFTER SCREENING NOT BE REFUGEES. FOR THEM TO GO BACK TO VIETNAM. THERE IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME GOING FORWARD AT THE MOMENT. AS I SAID IN MY OPENING REMARKS, IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT THAT VOLUNTARY PROGRAMME WILL BEGIN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT TAKES TWO PARTNERS FOR THERE TO BE REPATRIATION THE SENDER AND THE RECIPIENT AND WE ARE WORKING TO CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE SO THAT PROCESS CAN CONTINUE.

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SIMON MACKLIN: CAN'T BRITAIN DO SOMETHING TO HELP SHARE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN WHICH HONG KONG IS BEARING?

MR MAUDE: WELL. WE ALREADY DO. TWENTY ONE MILLION POUNDS STERLING WE HAVE SPENT IN THE LAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS, WE HAVE SPENT SHARE THE BURDEN.

SIMON MACKLIN: ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND ANY MORE?

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MR MAUDE: WELL. WE WILL TAKE DECISIONS AS THEY COME, BUT THE MOST URGENT THING IS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM SO THAT THE BURDEN REDUCES THAT IS THE BEST CONTRIBUTION WE CAN MAKE.

/MAY WONG (TVB):